Only the strong survive... or not...

I was reading some responses to an inbox question on my page, *Army Wives Do It With Hooah*, and someone said something to the effect that "only the strong survive going through deployments" and this was in reference to being married. ((in no way am I picking on this person who made this comment, it just made me think))

I use to think this... but I'm beginning to wonder... During our first deployment, I never realized how strong I was until I was thrown into that crazy mess! LOL... I grew up so much and found strength I never knew I had and gained more over that year.

Each deployment has taught me something new about myself and I've gained more strength with each one. We've been through 4 now and I think I know now what needs to be strong. The person specifically doesn't need to be strong, or even both of the people in the relationship... one can be weak, one can be strong, they can both be either...

The strength you need to survive a deployment in marriage or any romantic relationship is the strength of the relationship. By that I mean things such as honesty, communication... trust...

My husband is a very strong individual and I admire all the qualities he has and I wish I could exhibit some of them... I myself am a strong woman in lots of ways... does that mean we would survive a 5th deployment? No it doesn't... we can be two strong people, but our relationship can be weak... a weak relationship is less likely to survive a deployment than a strong one... two weak people can be in a strong relationship and they may make it while we sink...

Just a thought...

**I'm not entirely sure what the lady meant in her comment about "only the strong survive", this is just my take on it. =)

Tick tock Tick tock.....

Hours...counting hours...tick tock... We're down to the wire now and I'm more of a wreck than I was with the other deployments... no deployment is ever the same for anyone involved. The soldier goes through different things and the ones left behind go through different things each time. This one has taken a toll on us and we've made it through another one, but have we survived? That is still to be determined...

Past blogs about our deployments:
Our First Deployment
Our Second Deployment
Our Third Deployment

You know, some people change for the better, some for the worse...time and circumstances determine how a person changes and I'm not sure what this has done to me... that is the scariest part... not knowing... not being sure of yourself for once is a scary thing...I know what I want and what I want to do and how I want things to go, but things don't always work how we want, do they?

I've been praying a lot lately and I need to get back to my relationship with Jesus b/c I really let go.... but now, I'm leaving it in HIS hands, b/c I can't do anything more... I'm all out of myself... I can't give anymore, I can't try anymore... I don't have the answers... all I have to give is gone.

The Army Wife Survival Kit ~ Jamie and Rissa Style =)

Kit includes:

Big girl panties - of course!! cause we have to be big girls!! no crying and pouting or whining!!

Box of tissues - these are for when we toss aside the big girl panties and act like babies anyway

Valiums - everyone needs one at some point... maybe you can't sleep, or maybe you need something to calm you down b/c you have that crazy notion in your head to go bitch at your husbands command... yeah, pop a valium!!

Shot glass with your fave alcohol - mine would have southern comfort, how about yours?

BOB - make sure you stock up on batteries...deployments are long =)